This invention relates to a Liquid Crystal Display of the X-Y matrix type in which multi-layer, flexible interconnection circuits support the driver electronics for the display. More particularly, it relates to a space efficient packaging scheme in which the flexible interconnect circuitry is bent away from the plane of the display to minimize size.
Liquid crystal display devices of the X-Y matrix type are by now well-known and reference is hereby made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,896 issued Aug. 25, 1987, assigned to the General Electric Company, the assignee of the present invention, for a showing of a typical X-Y matrix type display. In the X-Y matrix display the row and column address lines are interdigitated (one half extending to one edge of the display and the other half to the opposite edge) so that the row and column address lines can be driven from all four edges of the display. Hitherto in packaging matrix addressed Liquid Crystal Displays it has been customary to mount the row and column driver electronics on rigid printed circuit boards and to connect the driver electronics to the connector pads on the Liquid Crystal glass by means of flexible interconnect elements. Such prior art systems however have a number of shortcomings because the use of printed circuit boards results in inefficient space utilization. This is particularly so with high density displays because mounting of the driver electronics on a separate circuit board and using a flexible connector between the electronics on the circuit board and the display results in adding large border areas to the display increasing the overall size.
It is therefore desirable to mount the driver electronics directly on the flexible connector (flex) which may then be bent to optimize space utilization. That is, the row and column driver chips may be secured in hermetically sealed, leadless, ceramic chip carriers which are mounted directly on the flexible multi-layer connector.
It is therefore a principal objective of the instant invention to provide a packaging system for an X-Y addressed Liquid Crystal Display which utilizes flexible interconnect circuitry to support the X-Y row and column driver circuitry.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a packaging technique for a high density Liquid Crystal Display of the X-Y matrix type using flexible interconnect circuitry to minimize space.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide a matrix addressed Liquid Crystal Display with flexible interconnects which support the display driver electronics.
Still other objectives and advantages of the invention will be realized as the description thereof proceeds.